The Best World Cafe Performances From 2013
We sifted through all 188 bands and individual artists that joined us to perform on the World Cafe in 2013 and we have settled on the very best for these two hours. It wasn’t easy.
I get to sit opposite singers or in the midst of the bands (I’m usually next to the drummer) every day as we talk about the music. It’s only later as we listen to the playback that I get to hear how extraordinary the songs we capture really are. Nobody phones it in. Even if they have driven all night from Boston they bring it for The World Cafe and ultimately you.

Today we will hear from Laura Marling, Okkervil River, Richard Thompson, Jason Isbell, Dawes and Phoenix just to name a few. Unique performances, this is what we do. Enjoy!
Some of the performances that were bubbling under are available for free downloads.

October 31, 2013 - There is no denying the beauty of the voice and music of 23 year-old Laura Marling.

The British singer songwriter has released 4 acclaimed albums and had three nominated for the prestigious British music award The Mercury Prize. Today she sings the suite of songs that begins I Was An Eagle her latest album. We also talk about her recent move to Los Angeles and her craving for normality in her nomadic life.

At just 21 years old Laura Marling has already found significant success at home in Britain. She’s emerged from a revivalist music scene in London rooted in traditional folk that has already spawned massive commercial appeal with bands like Mumford & Sons. For Laura, her first two albums were each nominated for the UK Mercury Music Prize and earlier this year she won Best Female Solo artist at the Brit Awards. Her third release A Creature I Don’t Know aims to cover new ground musically, plus serves as a proper introduction to new audiences here in the U.S.

Whether or not it’s your first encounter with Marling her ability to narrate a story through her music has always been a draw. On A Creature I Don’t Know Marling supplements her songwriting skills with dynamic arrangements. Where we found beauty in the sparseness of just a voice and a guitar, we now find it in the musical ride of these constructions. We were tipped off with the song “Sophia,” which preceded the release of the new album. From the whispery first verse, the song unfolds into a sprawling full band occasion. It’s easily her most appealing and dynamic moment as an artist.

And much like her aforementioned musical counterparts (Mumford & Sons), there is an almost anthemic effect to this music. Similar to “Sophia,” songs like “My Friends,” “The Beast” and “All My Rage” rely so much on momentum, they just swell to captivation. On A Creature I Don’t Know Marling is grasping her potential and listeners with each song.

Every month, the station's soothsayers and tastemakers select what they consider to be the best of the new. As a CDOM Club member, you'll receive all twelve of the CD of the Month selections during the year along with all of our special XPN releases -- including Live at the World Cafe CDs and XPN New Music Samplers. That's at least 16 CDs total!

At just 21 years old Laura Marling has already found significant success at home in Britain. She’s emerged from a revivalist music scene in London rooted in traditional folk that has already spawned massive commercial appeal with bands like Mumford & Sons. For Laura, her first two albums were each nominated for the UK Mercury Music Prize and earlier this year she won Best Female Solo artist at the Brit Awards. Her third release A Creature I Don’t Know aims to cover new ground musically, plus serves as a proper introduction to new audiences here in the U.S.

Whether or not it’s your first encounter with Marling her ability to narrate a story through her music has always been a draw. On A Creature I Don’t Know Marling supplements her songwriting skills with dynamic arrangements. Where we found beauty in the sparseness of just a voice and a guitar, we now find it in the musical ride of these constructions. We were tipped off with the song “Sophia,” which preceded the release of the new album. From the whispery first verse, the song unfolds into a sprawling full band occasion. It’s easily her most appealing and dynamic moment as an artist.

And much like her aforementioned musical counterparts (Mumford & Sons), there is an almost anthemic effect to this music. Similar to “Sophia,” songs like “My Friends,” “The Beast” and “All My Rage” rely so much on momentum, they just swell to captivation. On A Creature I Don’t Know Marling is grasping her potential and listeners with each song.

Every month, the station's soothsayers and tastemakers select what they consider to be the best of the new. As a CDOM Club member, you'll receive all twelve of the CD of the Month selections during the year along with all of our special XPN releases -- including Live at the World Cafe CDs and XPN New Music Samplers. That's at least 16 CDs total!

Hear a concert live Friday at 12noon ET from WXPN and NPR Music
Broadcast live Fridays from the stage at World Cafe Live

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Our October XPN Artist to Watch, Laura Marling's latest album is called A Creature I Don't Know, and she'll be here for an XPN Free At Noon on December 9, 2011.

Twenty-one-year-old Marling has the makings of the next great folk singer-songwriter. With a sound characterized by graceful, refined lyricism and remarkable, ear-catching melody, Marling has been taking the music world by storm. She's just released her third highly acclaimed album--quite an accomplishment for such a young artist.

Growing up surrounded by music, the 16-year-old artist made her way to London to join the 'nu-folk' movement. She became a part of indie folk outfit Noah and the Whale, and collaborated/toured with a number of acts, including Mystery Jets and The Moldy Peaches. She then debuted her solo album, "Alas I Cannot Swim" in 2008, and was promptly nominated for the Mercury Prize. I Speak Because I Can came soon after in 2010, evidence that Marling was continuing to craft her own brand of graceful folk music. This year, Marling has released A Creature I Don't Know, a dark and wonderful third album. As with her earlier work, comparisons to the likes of Dylan, Feist, Fiona Apple, and Joni Mitchell all at once can hardly be helped. Laura Marling has crafted an album both hauntingly mystifying and warmly welcoming. This album's theme could be seen as deeply personal--Marling sings of a woman struggling against herself and convention--but at the same time, it's a release that's both frustratingly hard and gratifying to try to interpret. With jazz undertones, banjo plucking, and lots of angry guitar, A Creature I Don't Know is simply mesmerizing.XPN has been captured by Marling since having her on World Cafe back in 2010, and her latest release has only served to entrance us all the more.

We're lucky enough to have Laura Marling on the stage for this week's Live Friday XPN Free At Noon! Don't miss this burgeoning young artist--it's free and it's at noon. There's no better way to start the weekend.

Twenty-one year-old Laura Marling has the makings of the next great folk singer-songwriter. With a sound characterized by graceful refined lyricism and remarkable, ear-catching melody, Marling has been taking the music world by storm.

Growing up surrounded by music, the 16-year-old artist made her way to London to join the 'nu-folk' movement. She became a part of indie folk outfit Noah and the Whale, and collaborated/toured with a number of acts, including Mystery Jets and The Moldy Peaches. She then debuted her solo album, Alas I Cannot Swim in 2008, and was promptly nominated for the Mercury Prize. I Speak Because I Can came soon after in 2010, evidence that Marling was continuing to craft her own brand of graceful folk music.

This year, Marling has released A Creature I Don't Know, a dark and wonderful third album, and XPN Featured Album of the Week. As with her earlier work, comparisons to the likes of Dylan, Feist, Fiona Apple, and Joni Mitchell all at once can hardly be helped. Laura Marling has crafted an album both hauntingly mystifying and warmly welcoming. This album's theme could be seen as deeply personal--Marling sings of a woman struggling against herself and convention--but at the same time, it's a release that's both frustratingly hard and gratifying to try to interpret. With jazz undertones, banjo plucking, and lots of angry guitar, A Creature I Don't Know is simply mesmerizing.